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SCMP Reporter

DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Kenichi Matsuyama, Erika Toda

Prelude: Originally a serialized manga in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, the comic book - compiled in 12 volumes after running for two and half years - sold more than 21 million copies in Japan. It is now one of the most popular manga series in Asia.

The first Death Note movie was released this summer and was a blockbuster in Hong Kong and Taiwan. With a clever premise, some interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns, the story has plenty of Hollywood remake potential.

The story: Light (Fujiwara), a cynical student, uses a notebook belonging to death god to cleanse the world of criminals.

But an eccentric inspector, L (Matsuyama), is willing to sacrifice everything - including his own life - to hunt down the killer, who he suspects is Light.

A cat-and-mouse game ensues as Light joins L's investigative team in order to fool, and ultimately kill, his enemy.

The ending: Manga fans should note that the movie has a different ending to the comic.

According to Fujiwara, the main cast and the director discussed how the film should end. The version they chose is the 'best ending among all possibilities'.

New characters: Misa (played by the lovely Toda), a grief-stricken pop star who comes into possession of another death notebook, appears briefly near the end of the first movie.

This time, she is the lead female character - a complex girl, who is hopelessly in love with Light.

Another new character is a sexy anchorwoman, who receives the notebook from a death god upon the instruction of Light. Light then uses her as a tool in his devious scheme to outwit L.

The rising star: Born in 1988, Toda is among the most promising young actresses in Japan.  With her pretty face, she brings a sense of innocence to her complex role.

She said what Light and Misa did - despite their lofty goals of making the world a better place - was questionable, as murder is undoubtedly a crime.

'I think the laws should be harsher [to deter crimes],' she said.

Comments from the director: How should we can rid the world of crime?

'I think people would commit fewer crimes if everyone in the world led a more affluent life. But maybe this is just naive thinking,' said Kaneko.

Why bother: All Hong Kong's teens are talking about it.



DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME